Promo clips of The Blackyoumentary premiered on YouTube (Channel: www.youtube.com/BigSteveFromEngland) in August of 2011 and have since garnered views in excess of 1.2 million. A new installment airs every Thursday, each exploring a different aspect of Skellefteå, North Sweden from the perspective of first time visitor, Big Steve, a British native of African descent.
Skellefteå is a small town hidden in the Swedish Lapland, approximately 500 miles north of Stockholm near the Polar Circle. It offers nature's best: lush forests, winding rivers, crystal blue lakes, and miles of white sand beaches. It boasts clean, unpolluted streets, low crime, and vast opportunity. This quaint community is home to a population of roughly 72,000 friendly locals.
Steve Babb, nicknamed "Big Steve" for his muscular 6-foot 4-inch frame, was a health club manager, residing in Milton Keynes, north of London. He had remained in England his entire life, before deciding to travel. When friend, Craig Dixon, suggested he visit the Swedish Lapland, Steve adamantly refused, stating, "I'm a black man. I don't like snow."
Craig Dixon saw an opportunity to change Steve's mind and the opinions of so many other skeptics. He again invited Steve to Skellefteå, now offering to document the whole experience on film. This swayed Babb's decision. After visiting the town and interacting with camera crew in tow, Big Steve now considers relocating.
The spoiler-free teasers only offer a hint of what's to come. The Blackyoumentary will be an eight part series, containing all new footage of Big Steve and his adventures in the Swedish Lapland. Viewers have the unique opportunity to share in his introduction to cross country skiing, snowboarding, ice fishing and many of Skellefteå's other attractions.
This travelogue is produced and directed by film students, Filip Burman, Viktor Gidlof, and Oscar Bystrom. The Skellefteå residents, ranging in age from 20 to 23, feel the town is a great place to live and a great place to visit, despite the lack of public awareness.
"All we hear are the negatives," says Craig Dixon executive producer of The Blackyoumentary. "People ask, 'Why live in North Sweden? Isn't it dark as night six months of the year? Doesn't Sweden have the highest suicide rate?' They don't realize this is a great place." With the help of Big Steve, this group hopes to showcase the true beauty of their homeland and shatter misconceptions.
Since airing on YouTube, the previews have proved popular, reaching 1400 cities, throughout 170 countries in just four months without paid promotion. The Blackyoumentary is currently being edited for cable television by Swedish company RRRYEA Productions AB. Episodes are slated to premier in the summer of 2012. To preview Big Steve's first day in Sweden, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXAEc0Suwmc.
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Contacts:
Media:
RRRYEA Productions AB
Craig Dixon, 0046702465087
Craig@bigstevefromengland.com